Double-acting door check and combination



June 8, 1954 P. M. HANssEN 2,680,263

DOUBLEACTING DOOR CHECK AND COMBINATION Fiied Feb. 14, 195o I .A 2 2 44 j s y 45 '49 47 ff/fier@ ,Hanssen H TTORNEXS Patented June 8, 1954 DOUBLE-ACTING DOOR CHECK AND COMBINATION PetterM. Hanssen, Frewsburg, N.` Y., assignor to Ellison Bronze Company, Inc.,

Jamestown,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 14,1950, serial No. 144,116

(o1. ifi- 55) 11 Claims.

The invention relates to a door check adapted to be mounted within a door for closing the door and checking its closing movement. Door checks heretofore have been mounted in the floor which means that special floor construction must be utilized at the door in order to provide the well in which the door check is mounted below the floor level. The check herein is mounted Within the panels of the door which requires no special oor construction. Also door checks are subject to leakage of oil which accumulates on the floor and will make it slippery as well as unsightly and the check herein eliminates this leakage or reduces it to a negligible amount. The door check is designed for a double acting door check rsuch that the door can swing fully in both directions from the door frame; however, it is suitable also for a door mounted for opening movement in one direction only. l

It is an object of the invention to construct a door check utilizing a rack and pinion construction with a simple and inexpensive form and arrangement of mechanism for increasing the extent of movement of the fluid checking piston connected therewith. y

Another object in addition thereto is to achieve the above object yet enabling the pinion shaft serving also as the lower door hinge to be located relatively close to the door edge.

Another object of the invention is to construct a door check which can be made tight against the leakage of uid from the uid cylinder.

A still further object is to construct a fluid door check in which the lever mechanism for amplifying the motion to the fluid piston is within the door or' parieling thereof with the entire door check mechanism.

A further object is to construct a door check having a simple mechanism for holding the door open.

Other objects of the invention will be more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through the door check;

Figure 2 is a cross section through the door check taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a cross section through the check Y ley-passes taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The door check includes a frame I0 which is lsecured preferably to the lower edge of the door D. by means of screws II. The frame has a ver- -ticalbore I2 therein which receives a shaft I3.

The end of the shaft has a square portion I4 which is received in a bushing I5 mounted upon the floor to hold the shaft against rotation. A segmental pinion I6 is carried by the shaft. The shaft serves as the lower hinge for the door.

The frame has a proper Width between its side walls so that it is insertable between the side panels of door D. A horizontal bore I9 is provided in the frame in which is slidably mounted a rack means shown as a double rack 20 having rack teeth 2| on one side thereof and rack teeth 22 on the other side to provide a double acting check for a door which swings in both directions from closed position. Upon lswinging the door in one direction from central or closed position,

the teeth of the segmental pinion I6 engage the v rack teeth 2l to slide the double rack 20 within the bore I9 and swinging of the door in the other direction, brings the segmental pinion teeth into engagement with the rack teeth 22 to alsorslide the double rack within the bore. A spring means 23 engages the double rack to propel the same towards initial position and hence also propels the door to central or closed position. The other end of the spring means abuts an abutment 24 secured in the end of the bore by means of screws 25.

A separate fluid check means slows down or checks the closing movement of the door as it is closed by the spring means 23. It embodies a fluid cylinder, a piston movable therein and connected with a piston rod, a passage having a check valve for quickly transferring fluid from one side of the piston to the other and at least one by-pass passage connecting the opposite ends of the cylinder. The construction herein secures increased travel of the piston which results in increased volumetric or fluid displacement and improved control in an inexpensive manner and without requiring excessive spacing between the door edge and the shaft I3 or door pivot. Preferably the check means is carried by the frame which has a second horizontal bore 28 adjacent the bore I9 and the spring means therein. The bore is the cylinder of the fluid check means. A piston 29 is slidable in the bore 28 and carries a piston rod 30 which projects through gland means forming an oil or uid seal comprising a gland washer 3| and gland nut 32.

The fluid cylinder is filled with oil on both sides of the piston 29 and valve means is carried by the piston in a passage 36 therethrough which valve means may be of any form, that shown being a ball 31 which seats against a valve seat 38 in the passage to prevent uid flow therethrough in one direction, that is, from the right hand side to the left hand side. A pin 33 through the passage and in back of the ball retains the check ball adjacent the valve seat. This check valve or ball permits fluid to pass freely from the left hand end of the cylinder to the right hand end when the piston moves to the left. Upon the piston moving to the right, the ball 3l is pushed by the iiuid against the seat 38 to close the passage and preventl huid flow through the passage 36 from the right hand side of the piston to the left hand side when the piston moves to the right.

At least one by-pass is utilized in the frame there being two shown. One by-pass passage 42 has a vent or opening 43 into the cylinder wall adjacent one end thereof. In the passage is a needle valve 44 which restricts the fluid flow through the by-pass passage 42. The by-pass passage 42 has a second vent or opening 45 into the cylinder at or adjacent the other end thereof. A second by-p-ass passage 46 may be provided having a vent or opening 4'! into the cylinder at one end thereof. This by-pass passage also carries a needle valve 48 which restricts the fluid flow through the passage and a second vent or opening 49 into the left hand end of the cylinder. The vent or opening 41 into the cylinder is nearer to the end of the cylinder than the vent or opening 43 so that both passages serve as a fluid bypass and the door may close fast initially until the vent 43 is closed by the piston after which the by-pass passage 4E only is open and providing but one by-p'ass io the check fluid. The final closingl when the door approaches closed position, is therefore, slower. The end of the fluid cylinder 28 is closed by a nut 50.

In operation when the door is opened the piston 29 moves to the left and the fluid in the left hand side of the cylinder opens the ball valve 3l so that iiuid passes easily through the passage 36 to the right hand side of the piston. When the door closes under the pressure of the spring means 23, the check fluid closes the check ball valve4 3T so that fluid flows initially through both bypass passages 42 and 46, passes the needle valves therein and through their respective vents 45 and 49 to the left hand side of the piston. When the door is almost closed the piston covers the opening 43 so that by-pass opening 4l only is open or unobstructed and one by-pass passage remains for transferring fluid from the right hand side of the piston to the left hand side. The needle valves extend to the edge of the door so that they may be exposed by opening oi the door and adjusted to control the opening through its passage and thereby control the speed of initial closing and final slow closing of the door.

Door checks have been constructed utilizing a double rack 2Q also as the fluid piston of the fluid checking means. In such construction, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to prevent oil leakage through the bearings of the vertical shaft I3. rEhe separate duid cylinder avoids any such leakage. Also the extent oi movement of the rack means is relatively small thereby making control of the door checking difficult. The door check herein provides approximately a two to one movement ratio between the rack means 28 and the piston 29 thereby doubling the length of movement or stroke of the fluid piston and thereby materially improving the control. In other words the distance between side panels of the door determines or limits the diameter of the rack means and of the fluid cylinder. With a separate duid cylinder 28 of the same diameter as the rack means but with a piston stroke twice that of the rack means, there is provided a cylinder or iluid displacement which is twice as great thereby enabling improved control of the check- The connection between the rack means 20 and the piston 2S may take several forms, that shown being lever means which includes a lever 53 mounted upon a horizontal pivot pin 54 carried by the frame adjacent to the bore I9 or the rack means 2t. One end of the lever 53 is pivotally connected by a pin 55 to a link 56 which in turn is secured by a pin 5? to the piston rod 39. The other end of the lever 53 is connected in any suitable fashion with the rack means 2.2i, the connection shown being a pin 58 slidable in a slot 49 in the end of the double rack 20. The connection may be made at any point on the rack means; however, it is more convenient to connect it at the end thereof which will be adjacent the edge of the door. The distance between the pins 54 and 55 with respect to the distance between the pins 54 and 58 is approximately two to one so that the movement of the double rack transmits approximately two times as much movement to the piston 23, and hence approximately twice as much fluid displacement, thereby improving materially the checking control of the closing movement o the door.

The lever construction illustrated, utilizes a iixed pivot 54 and a oating or slidable pivot 58. There are other pivotal connections of the lever between the rack 2i) and the piston 29 which readily come to mind. The form illustrated is preferred however in which one of the pivots is fixed and the other is floating or slidable in a slot.

Means are provided to hold the door in open position against the closing pressure of the spring 23. This means includes a spring pin 62 which extends down through the center of the spring means 23. The end of the spring pin is slotted to permit it to contract. The spring pin has ridge means 63 at the slotted end thereof, two ridges being shown. The end of the rack means has a central hole 64 in which ridge means 65 is provided, two ridges being shown. With the plurality of ridges shown, the door has three different door hold open positions. When the door is swung to open position the head 63 is contracted by the ridge E5 and engages in back thereof to hold the rack means 20 in extended position or-door open position and thereby holds the door open against the tensionof the closing spring means 23. At least one ridge is provided upon the spring pin 32 or in the hole 64. In the construction illustrated a second ridge means 66 is provided in the hole so that the door may be held open in two positions. By providing a second ridge S9 on the spring pin, three hold open positions are provided. As many ridge means may be provided as desired on one or both the spring pins or in the hole S4 and with two ridges on the spring pin and in the hole E4, three open positions are provided. The end of the spring pin is threaded into the abutment 24 by screw threads 61 so that the position of the pin may be adjusted with respect to the rack means and hence the open position or positions of the door. A lock nut 68 secures the spring pin in adjusted position.

This invention provides an improvement in a double acting door check and combination of same with door holding means. It is understood that various modifications in structure, as well as changes in mode of operation, assembly, and

manner of use, may and often do occur to those skilled in the art, especially after benefiting from the teachings of an invention. This disclosure illustrates the preferred means of embodying the invention in useful form.

What is claimed is:

1. A door check comprising a frame having a dimension between its side walls suitable for insertion between the side panels of a door, a vertical shaft having a central axis and mounted in the frame and adapted to be held stationary, a pinion carried by the shaft, a rack means having a central axis and mounted in the frame for linear sliding movement at right angles to the axis of the pinion shaft and engaging the pinion, spring means engaging one end of the rack means to propel the same and the door to initial position; a fiuid check means on the frame adjacent the spring means including a cylinder closed at both ends, a piston projecting through one end of the cylinder, a piston rod, at least one by-pass passage connecting the ends of the cylinder, and valve means connecting the cylinder upon oppo site sides of the piston for unidirectional uid ow therebetween; and pivoted lever means between the planes of the side walls of the frame and in a plane passing through the axes of the pinion shaft and the rack means and mounted on the frame, and means connecting the pivoted lever means with the rack means and with the piston rod of the uid check means to move the piston in the cylinder.

2. A door check as in claim 1 in which the lever means is connected with the end of the rack means opposite from the spring means.

3. A door check adapted to be received between the side panels of a door comprising a frame, a

vertical shaft mounted in the frame and adapted to be held stationary and provide a door hinge for hingedly mounting the door, a pinion carried by the shaft and having a central axis, rack means having a central axis and mounted in the frame for linear sliding movement at right angles to the axis of the pinio'n shaft and engaging the pinion for movement thereof, spring means engaging the end of the rack means to propel the latter to initial position and close the door; fluid check means including a cylinder closed at both ends, a piston in the cylinder, a piston rod connected with the piston and pro jecting through an end of the cylinder, at least one by-pass passage connecting the ends of the cylinder, and valve means connecting the cylinder upon opposite sides of the piston f or unidirectional uid flow therebetween; a horizontal pivot mounted on the frame adjacent the rack means, a lever pivotally mounted upon the pivot and in the plane passing through the axes of the pinion and of the rack means and connected with the piston rod of the fluid check means to move the 6 l piston in the cylinder, and means connecting the rack means with the lever to pivot the latter.

4. A door check as in claim 3 including a horizontal bore in the frame adjacent to the spring means and forming the iiuid cylinder.

5. A door check as in claim 3 including the horizontal pivot for the lever being mounted in fixed position in the frame, and the connection between the lever and the rack means being a slot carried by the rack means, and a pin carried by the lever and received in the slot.

6. A door check as in claim'3 including a slot carried by the rack means and a pin carried by one end of the lever slidable therein, and the distance between the pin and the horizontal bearing and the piston rod connection and the horizontal bearing being approximately in the ratio of one to two.

7. A door check as in claim 3 including a spring pin slotted at its end and mounted centrally of the spring means, the rack means having a hole in the end thereof, and at least one ridge means Within the hole and on the slotted end of the spring pin to interengage and hold the rack means in door open position.

8. A door check as in claim 7 in which the ridge means includes a plurality of ridges for holding the door open in a plurality of positions.

9. A door check as in claim 7 in which the spring pin has adjusting means to adjust its position with respect to the rack means.

l0. A door check as in claim 8 in which the bypass is horizontal and extends through the end of the Wall of the cylinder facing towards the edge of the door, and an adjusting screw thread-` ed into the end of the passage and extending yto a point adjacent the end of the frame to adjust the leakage in the passage.

11. A door check as in claim 3 including two by-pass passages connecting at different points into the cylinder, the by-pass passages being horizontal and spaced from each other and extending through the end wall of the cylinder facing towards the end of the passage, and an ade' justing screw threaded into the end of each passage and each extending to a point adjacent the end of the frame to adjust the leakage in each passage.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 84,352 Green Nov. 24, 1868 335,575 Greer Feb. 9, 1886 615,074 Lennart Nov. 29, 1898 842,304 Deming Jan. 29, 1907 1,595,722 Norton Aug. 10, 1926 2,471,707 Van Veen May 31, 1949 

